Closure for access openings in closed housings



'Aug. 20, 1957 P. M. LENNARD 2,803,370

I CLOSURE FOR ACCESSOPENINGS IN CLOSED HOUSINGS Filed Jan. 50, 1957 F LG. I

; Y INVENTOR.

PAUL LENNARD 44v ATTORNEY.

nit States CLOSURE F912 ACCESS flPlENlNGS EJ CLGSED HOUSINGS Paul M. Lennard, New York, N. Y.

Application January 30, 1957, Serial No. 637,117

6 Claims. (Cl. 22024) This invention relates to a novel closure structure for access openings for the hands of an operator which are inserted into controlled environment housings used in experimental work and processing which is done under controlled atmospheric conditions such as low humidity, freedom from dust, or the presence of an inert gas. The closure can also be used for incubators for babies, surgical housings and the like. in all housings of this general character certain internal physical conditions, such as pressure, temperature, humidity, are carefully controlled and it is also necessary to guard against the introduction of air-borne bacteria or dust into the chamber.

Access openings leading into chambers of this type are usually provided with long flexible gloves of rubber or 'ke material whose open ends are secured to the edges of the openings in sealed relation thereto by means of snap rings. Gloves of this character are necessarily rather loose fitting and in many instances the gloves interfere with the delicate Work which the scientist, engineer or surgeon must perform in the chamber, although it would be preferable to use bare hands.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide a novel closure structure for access openings for the hands of the technician which permits the hands and arms to be readily admitted to and withdrawn from the chamber while maintaining at all times a substantially hermetic seal.

The closure of the present invention is formed from a plurality of superimposed discs of rubber or other resilient material, each having unaligned openings therein and forming a contractile element which exerts a desired measure of circumferential constriction on the arm of the technician and which forms a substantially air-tight closure while the arm and hand are in the chamber as well as after they are withdrawn therefrom.

The resilient discs are preferably circular in shape to facilitate assembly and each disc is formed with a plurality of and, preferably, three radially disposed slits which intersect at a point spaced from the true center thereof. No material is removed when the generally Y shaped slits or cuts are made. The discs are mounted between two circular flat metal rings and each successive disc is axially offset a short increment of rotation relative to the preceding one. In its preferred form eight of the discs are used and the rings have eight equally spaced, match-drilled holes and the same is true of the rubber discs. Thus the first disc is placed on the lowermost ring with the bolts passing through the openings. The next disc is rotated 45 relative to the first and the process continued unti all eight are superimposed and the upper ring applied.

The radial slits preferably terminate at their outer ends somewhat less than an inch from the inner peripheries of the mounting rings and the three substantially triangular, iris-like leaves of each disc exert a rather unusual degree of pressure on the forearm of the technician, and the combined leaves of all t. e discs form an air-tight closure at asssa'zs Patented Aug. 20, 1957 all times. The pressure is not :so great, however, as to cause discomfort to the operator.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a closure embodying the present invention, the view showing in dotted lines the relative position of the slits in the disc next below the top disc.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of one disc.

Fig. 3 is a broken section on line 33 of Fig. 1.

One of the discs is shown at 10 in Fig. 2 and it is formed from sheeting of rubber or other comparable material of about 3 inch in thickness. The precise thickness is a matter of choice. The diameter of the disc and the length of the slots may vary but for most purposes the disc may be about 7 inches in diameter and if eight discs are used each disc may have eight openings 11 in equally spaced relation around its peripheral margin.

Three slits 12, 13 and 14 are cut in the disc, the slits intersecting at 15 which may be about inch off the true center of the circular disc which is merely indicated at 15. All the slits terminate about the same distance from the periphery so in the arrangement shown slits l2 and 13 are of the same length and they are slightly shorter than slit 14. The slits are merely knife cuts so that no material is removed.

The discs are mounted between two flat metal or plastic apertured plates or rings 21 having openings aligned with openings 11 in the discs. The rings are held together by bolts 22 having wing nuts 23. To assemble the closure the headed bolts are placed heads down in the lower ring 20 and the discs are placed thereon with the bolts passing through openings 11 in the discs. if eight discs are used the next uppermost disc above the first is turned one increment of rotation before it is applied, i. e. 45. This relationship between the uppermost disc on the one immediately therebeneath is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Good results are achieved if the discs are offset at random but better results are obtained and a more true iris-like efiect is achieved if each successive disc is revolved just one increment. I

After the last disc is in place the upper ring 21 is applied to the bolts and the wing nuts 23 secured to the bolts.

No details of the housing itself are shown since housings of this kind are well known. A number of access openings are provided and one of the closure elements of the present invention is secured in sealed relation to each opening.

Instead of the two flat rings, the opening in the housing can be formed with a fiat annular flange with bolt openings and the discs mounted directly on the housing and a single ring provided at the outer ends of the bolts.

While there have been described herein what are at present considered preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the essence of the invention. It is therefore to be understood that the exemplary embodiments are illustrative and not restrictive of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims, and that all modifications that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be included therein.

What I claim is:

1. A closure for an access opening in a closed housing comprising a plurality of superimposed discs of thin resilient material, each of the discs having a plurality of radially disposed slits therein which intersect at a point spaced from the center thereof, the slits in one disc being unaligned with those in a succeeding disc and means for mounting the discs comprising plates engaging opposed aces of the several superimposed discs and supporting the discs in clamping relation, the plates having openings therein.

2. A closure for an access opening in a closed housing comprising a plurality of superimposed generally circular discs of thin resilient material, each of the discs having a plurality of radially disposed slits therein whichintersect at a point spaced from the center thereof, the slits in one disc being unaligned With those in a succeeding disc, and means for mounting the discs to the margin of the housing in sealed relation thereto.

3. A closure for an access opening in a closed housing comprising a plurality of superimposed discs of thin resilient material, each of the discs having a plurality of radially disposed slits therein which intersect at a point spaced from the center thereof, the slits in one disc being unaligned with those in a succeeding disc, and mounting means for the discs between which the discs are received in clamped relation.

4. A closure for an access opening in a closed housing comprising a plurality of superimposed generally circular discs of thin resilient material, each of the discs having more than two generally radially disposed slits therein which commence at a common point spaced from the center thereof and which terminate at their outer ends at points spaced from the periphery, and means comprising flat rings for mounting the discs in superimposed relation, the discs and rings having aligned openings therein and bolts passing through the openings, the slits in one disc being unaligned with the slits in the next succeeding disc.

5. A closure for an access opening in a closed housing comprising a plurality of superimposed discs of thin resilient material, each of the discs having at least three generally radially disposed slits therein which terminate at their outer ends at points spaced from the periphery and Which intersect each other at a point spaced from the center of the disc, and means comprising flat rings for mounting the discs in superimposed relation, the discs and rings having aligned openings therein and bolts passing through the openings, the slits in one disc being unaligned with the slits in the next succeeding disc.

6. A closure for an access opening in a closed housing comprising at least four superimposed generally circular discs of thin resilient material, each of the discs having at least three generally radially disposed slits therein which terminate at their outer ends at points spaced from the periphery and which intersect each other at a point spaced from the center of the disc, means comprising flat rings for mounting the discs in superimposed relation, and means for mounting the rings with the discs secured therebetween, each succeeding disc in the group being placed a short increment of rotation relative to the preceding one in order that the slits in one disc are unaligned with the slits in the next succeeding disc.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,983,139 Lovell Dec. 4, 1934 2,528,332 Bergquist Oct. 31, 1950 2,573,213 Miller Oct. 30, 1951 as a. mm. 1. 

